Currently first in their division, the Pack is tied for second in the league behind Binghampton and Hershey, on whom they have two and one games in hand respectively. In 7 games, they have allowed 11 goals and scored 18. In that span, the Pack has managed to accumulate at least a point per game, with their only loss coming in overtime against Lowell. Their current record is 4-0-2-1, and they are undefeated at home. Every player currently on the Pack roster is at least even, and over half are at least +2. The goalies share a 1.57 GAA and a .935 save average, with one shutout. And the whole damn team backchecks.

No, I’m not high. This is for real.

Funny, how it really WAS all about a youth movement. We’ve been talking for years about the ideal farm team: young, enthusiastic, energetic, talented and hungry, with just a few key vets sprinkled in to provide some leadership and guidance. A group of kids who are willing to run through PJ Stock’s wall for the team, with a few grownups to show them how. Somehow, this team has already come together into a cohesive group that thinks it is their job to win every night – and is willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen.

Damn, I love this team.

Goalies
Jason LaBarbera’s confidence has grown with each great save, and he is becoming the wall he can and should be at his size. Jason continues to challenge skaters on the breakaway, charging at them in full Hasek howling fury, causing more than one to choke or even abandon the puck entirely. He’s never going to be a star stick handling, but he can now venture out of the net without causing heart attacks among the fans. For the first time in my memory, he actually looks like he enjoys being out there each night.

Phil Osaer won over every fan in Hartford by managing a shut out in his first appearance for the Wolf*Pack. The consummate backup, Phil seems to be happy to be Jason’s cheerleader for most games and can step in with confidence when it is his rare turn. Smaller than Jason, Phil relies on an extremely fast glove hand that seems unbeatable. And you have to like a guy who says in an interview that his favorite hockey player is his five year old cousin.

First line
LW Chad Wiseman quietly has gone about the business of becoming the team leader in points, totaling 7 in the first 7 games. He’s so quiet, its actually hard to say anything about his play, except that he has been involved in almost half the goals scored so far this year. That cloak of invisibility must be very strong.

RW Paul Healey is a vet – 28 years old, a survivor from the Maple Leafs. Therefore, I suppose I should dislike him. Actually, I mostly wonder why he doesn’t have an A instead of the two idiots who do now. Paul has the only shorthanded goal this year, which reminds me that he is one of our major players on the kill now – important since it appears we will be living in the box again this season. He’s smart, savvy, willing to take the hit and dish it out, and only cherry picks at the blue line occasionally.

C Cory Larose was benched on Friday night for the game in Bridgeport, reportedly for taking bad penalties against Lowell the previous weekend – embarrassing for anyone, but particularly for one of the captains. I guess Cory doesn’t like watching from the stands, because he came back with a vengeance on Saturday night that carried through Sunday. Apparently those bad penalties made him as many enemies on the Lowell team as they did on the Hartford coaching staff, because he was targeted and thoroughly abused all day Sunday, although to his credit he whined less than usual. He finally got his first goal in 6 games on the power play Saturday night.

Second line
LW Juris Stals is still big. Somehow he has managed to avoid taking a single penalty so far, impressive when you are 6-3, 208 and have a tendency to skate through people without noticing. I always see Juris along the boards, plowing his way through traffic as he lugs the puck up ice to dish off to Dominic. Since Dom scores, Juris will get assists. Seems to be a fair deal.

C Dominic Moore is still small. He’s a mean small though, and has 4 minors in 7 games to show for it. As the delicate one on his line though, he’s not going to have to do a lot of heavy lifting as far as that goes. That’s what Garth is for. He’s out there to score, and he’s doing it so far – but he’s also one of the very few players who is only even on the year.

LW Garth Murray was the team leader in penalty minutes before Jason MacDonald went insane on Sunday. I’m sure Garth is very upset now, and I almost feel bad for the kids in Albany who will bear the brunt of that fury on Wednesday night. Like Juris, Garth has three assists to match Dom’s 3 goals. Unlike Juris, Garth has a bloodlust that makes him want to chew people’s arms off. Interestingly, Garth has started to take faceoffs, even when Dom is on the ice. I would assume that Dom is injured, except that Garth’s skating has looked as if he is favoring a hip as well. Hmmm….

Third line
RW Ken Gernander looks rejuvenated, perhaps because he is no longer burdened with trying to lead a team of vets who weren’t the slightest bit interested in team play. He has always excelled in working with the kids, usually playing with whichever ones are struggling or have just joined the team – the current makeup of the roster allows him to do what he does best, and presumably what he enjoys. The happy and productive captain is skating on our checking line, with Jed Ortmeyer on one flank and the kid of the night on the other. Kenny is tied for second on the team with 5 points and tied for first as a +4.

RW Jed Ortmeyer continues to impress by playing an extremely physical – but totally clean – game while also tallying 4 points, mostly through assists. For someone only 186 pounds, he hits awfully hard. Particularly when he sees someone hit Kenny, which is the first time I can remember anyone sticking up for our captain. He has great hands and excellent vision of the ice, able to make the tape to tape pass at full speed when he and Kenny start the give and go from center ice. After Kenny scored on this play Sunday, you could read Kenny’s lips clearly as he pointed at Jed and hollered across the ice “YOU DA MAN!”

LW Lucas Lawson played on this line on Sunday. I’m trying to be nice, because he’s a rookie, but the kid whiffed on every single puck he was given in warm-ups – so you can imagine how useless he was in the game. He’s played in 4 games, presumably all on the road except for this one. He was sent to Charlotte on 10/28.

Fourth line
C Bobby Andrews is having such a bad year he can’t beat Lawson out for a spot on the roster. He’s played in 4 games, but not the one in Portland, where he was exceptionally rude to a fan who spoke to him in the stands, in stark contrast to his teammates who were polite and friendly. Way to go, Bobby – the fans were the only ones left who liked you. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.

RW Jason MacDonald, for reasons that pass understanding, has the other A. It can’t be for the leadership he demonstrates by leading the team with 43 PIM. He fights, but somehow manages to be worse at it than Christian Gosselin. When his second “fight” (a.k.a. public embarrassment) was broken up Sunday, the linesman pushed him over to the bench while his opponent was taken to the box. While there, he delivered a sharp elbow to the face of a player on the other team standing behind him. Granted, it was likely provoked, but come on – we’re 7 games in and he’s already got 3 game misconducts? Can’t lead from the locker room, dumbass.

LW Richard Scott, on the other hand, can fight. He has 40 PIM (they were handing out misconducts like Halloween candy the other night), mostly for the incredible beating he gave a player after the guy lined up Jakopin behind the net. Keep in mind that while Jakopin is not a fighter, he is 6-6 and 245. He may not have noticed he was hit. But Richard, who is 3 inches shorter and 25 pounds lighter, felt that John needed to be avenged, so he tackled the guy before he got three strides away and pounded him. It was a beautiful sight.

C Layne Ulmer skates on this line occasionally, mostly for contrast I guess. Layne has 1 goal and 1 assist in the 5 games he has played. He is hitting people, but he’s not very good at it – perhaps a reaction from the hit he delivered in his first game for the Pack that sent him out of the game and to Charlotte for the entire year.

C Benoit Dusablon is still out, but went to Charlotte on 10/28, indicating he is finally ready to begin skating.

Defense
Fedor Tyutin has three goals, but those were all in the first two games. Since then he has settled down and has been working on his defense under the wing of John Jakopin. Fedor hits hard – really hard. Tomas Kloucek hard. He’s so solid, and such a smooth skater, that he doesn’t have to work up a lot of speed (thus drawing attention to himself) in order to drill someone into the boards. And he smiles when he does it, which is especially fun. Meanwhile, he’s got great hands to go with his strong skating – and as long as John’s on the ice with him, he’s defensively sound. Unfortunately, McGill has started to play with only 5 dmen each night, which means that Fedor lands out there with less positive role models and bad things happen. But his effort has been very good, and I even saw him block a shot the other day. And he gets bonus points for yapping at the hated Pavel Brendl. I hope he asked him about hot dogs.

John Jakopin should have the other A. I have no idea why he doesn’t, given his NHL experience, his work with Fedor, and his steady play. John is a force out on the ice, using his huge size to wreck people along the boards. For a big guy, he actually skates fairly well, but he isn’t the ideal candidate to rush the puck up ice. He’s a stay-at-home guy who patrols the blueline, stands up anyone who tries to enter the zone, and keeps an eye on Fedor to make sure he doesn’t wander too far. All in all, he’s an excellent addition to the team.

Lawrence Nycholat has been playing very well. The third member of the team to be a +4 at the moment, Nycholat doesn’t have any goals yet but has accumulated 3 assists to start off the season. He also has a surprising 12 minutes in penalties, I believe mostly for hooking down players on breakaways. Interpret as you will.

Jayme Filipowicz came out of nowhere to become one of the most physical members of our blueline, and extremely smart with the puck as well. He had a stunning glove save at the right post on Sunday when Jason was down and out in a mad scramble around the net.

Pat Aufiero has only played 5 games, as McGill is keeping 8 defensemen in Hartford much as Sather is in New York – meaning that at least two sit each night. When the game calls for physical play, Patty sits. But when it comes to smart puck movement, he’s someone you want on the ice. I'm not sure why, but he also was sent to Charlotte this week.

Matt Kinch has only been on the ice for 3 games, a surprisingly low number given his mistake-free game. But again, he doesn’t bring any sort of a physical presence to the game, and that is in demand right now.

Craig Weller has only played 2 games this year, and hasn’t done much in either one of them. He’s the Dale of Hartford, kept around in case we are expecting trouble.

Bryce Lampman is back, and looks good. He’s been back for two games, and has been his typical sneaky quiet self – a little less aggressive than normal, but he has three shots on goal so the shoulder seems to be okay. I’d say he is playing at about 90% right now, and will need some time to bring himself back up to speed before New York is even a remote possibility.

Organization
Ryan McGill is apparently sticking by his resolution to lead by love instead of fear this year – people sitting behind the bench say there is much more praise than screaming, and that the kids are lapping it up. Whatever he is doing, the kids are playing their hearts out every night, and you can see the results in the record. Keep it up, Ryan.

Nick Fotiu is a mystery to us. As far as we can tell, he exists to talk to the camera, since Ryan clearly shares or is modeling Sather’s disdain and loathing for the press.

Jim Schoenfeld hasn’t been seen since training camp. Perhaps he is up in a box, rather than in the stands as Coates was, at least until the Tibbetts thing became too much of an embarrassment. The only trade that would help the team right now would be for a scoring forward – but I’m not sure we could get a sniper in exchange for Andrews and/or Ulmer. Perhaps Sather will ride to our rescue by offing a Ranger defensemen and send us some early Christmas presents.

Upcoming games include the return of PJ Stock in disgrace as a member of the Providence Bruins this Friday, and the battle of 91 against the Springfield Falcons on Saturday. Stop by and say hello if you’re in town – both should be excellent games!

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